TEAM SMART PANELS FROM THE USA VOTED AS MOST INSPIRING

Winners of the Shell Ideas360 2017 Audience Choice Award

June 13, 2017

With all the votes counted for this year’s Shell Ideas360 Audience Choice Award, we are pleased to announce our online community’s winning team is Team Smart Panels from the USA. Team Smart Panels have also won the overall Shell Ideas30 programme award and each member will now be awarded a National Geographic Adventure.

Their idea, modified solar panels with passive, spring-based solar-tracking systems that allow the panels to move back and forth based on the sun’s position, has been designed to address the increasing global demand for energy, pollution created by fossil fuels and the high cost of renewables.

Formed at Texas University at Austin, this three-person team has beaten more than 18,000 other students across the world to come up with an idea that truly stands out. An incredible 750 ideas aimed at tackling the world’s pressing food, water and energy challenges were put forward for consideration, with the 72 most innovative – including your Audience Choice Award team’s winning idea – chosen to go through to the next stage of the programme.

From these, just five ideas were shortlisted. It was then up to you, our audience, to vote for the idea you found most inspiring. And you did! The Audience Choice winner, Team Smart Panels, was announced online and the team was presented the Judges Choice Award at Shell Ideas360 finale at Make the Future Live – a festival of ideas and innovation that took place between 25 – 28 May in London.

None of this could have happened without the collaborative efforts of all team members, their commitment to a clean energy future and the sheer ingenuity of their idea.

Mandeep, who designed the eponymous Smart Panels modules with his teammates, said:

“We’re excited to win the Audience Choice and the Judges Choice Award. The opportunity to participate in this programme and pitch a cool idea has been an experience of a lifetime and we look forward to our National Geographic Adventure.”

Inspired to get involved in next year’s programme? to begin your journey!